Total Serum Alkaline Phosphatase Activity in Dogs with Mammary Neoplasms: a Prospective Study on 79 Natural Cases

• Published in: Journal of veterinary medicine. Series A 2003-12, Vol.50 (10), p.501-505
• Main Authors: Karayannopoulou, M., Koutinas, A. F., Polizopoulou, Z. S., Roubies, N., Fytianou, A., Saridomichelakis, M. N., Kaldrymidou, E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alkaline Phosphatase - blood; Animals; Biomarkers, Tumor - blood; Case-Control Studies; Dog Diseases - blood; Dogs; Female; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Mammary Neoplasms, Animal - blood; Predictive Value of Tests; Prospective Studies
• ISSN: 0931-184X; 1439-0442
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0442.2004.00591.x

Summary Increased total alkaline phosphatase (TALP) activity in the serum, long noticed in canine mammary tumours among other neoplasms, has not been yet associated with malignancy, osseous transformation of neoplastic tissue or histopathological typing. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to correlate this biochemical abnormality with the above‐mentioned parameters, in 79 adult to elderly female dogs with mammary neoplasms, without evidence of metastatic or any other disease. Histopathology disclosed that 64 (81%) of these neoplasms were malignant and 15 (19%) benign, belonging to various histological types. Radiology and histopathology revealed the presence of osseous tissue in 18 (22.8%) cases. The malignant neoplasms were subsequently allocated into group A including 46 (74.2%) of epithelial origin and group B with 16 (25.8%) neoplasms of both epithelial and mesenchymal origin (‘malignant mixed’ tumours). In addition, their benign counterparts were divided into group C (adenomas, fibroadenomas) and group D (benign mixed tumours) that included seven (46.7%) and eight (53.3%) tumours, respectively. Almost 55% of the dogs with malignant and 47% with benign tumours had increased serum‐TALP activity. However, no significant difference in serum‐TALP activity was found between the dogs with malignant (mean ± SE: 243.7 ± 37.4 U/l) and benign (167.9 ± 38.4 U/l) neoplasms, with (238.9 ± 45.3 U/l) and without (226.5 ± 38.3 U/l) osseous transformation, with (298.5 ± 85.6 U/l) or without (201.2 ± 30.5 U/l) myoepithelial cell proliferation and with different tumour size (T1/T2: 175.1 ± 34.9 and T3: 254.5 ± 42.5 U/l). In histopathological typing, the only difference noticed involved the malignant neoplasms of group A (190.5 ± 25.5 U/l) compared with group B (378 ± 124.6 U/l) dogs. The higher increase of serum‐TALP activity in ‘malignant mixed’ tumours could not be attributed to osseous transformation or new ALP isoenzyme production by myoepithelial cells. Increased serum‐TALP activity is of no apparent diagnostic (as to tumour type) or prognostic value.